Health Ministry braces for nationwide spike in dengue cases

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — As the nation braces for another spike in dengue cases expected during the monsoon season late next month, a proposal has been floated to set up state-level committees to complement efforts carried out at the national level.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the committee would be chaired either by the menteri besar of each state or by the state executive councillor in charge of health.

“The committees are being proposed to execute awareness and preventive programmes at state level,” he said after attending a National Committee on Dengue meeting at Parliament yesterday.

Dr Subramaniam said that in addition  to the monsoon, another reason to expect an increase in the number of cases was the switch of the serotype dengue virus from DAN2 to DAN1.

“Late last year and early this year, the predominant serotype was DAN2. In the last few months, we saw DAN1 increasing,” he said.

“If there is a sizeable population in the affected area, who were not exposed or immune to DAN1 virus, then these people would be more susceptible to be affected from it.”

He said the number of dengue cases could decline if the Aedes breeding sites were reduced.

Although the number of cases had shown a decline for now, destroying Aedes breeding spots should be continuous.

In the last two months, the cases in Selangor dropped by 48 per cent, in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya by 36 per cent, in Negri Sembilan by 51 per cent, and in Kelantan by 69 per cent.

“The activities we have, such as clearing trash in public areas, should be a sustainable activity and not based on ad hoc operations,” he said.

Dr Subramaniam said the number of dengue cases had dropped from an average 3,000 reported weekly to 2,000 cases due to prevention efforts carried out. 

“Though there is a positive decline in the number of cases, the ministry hopes for it to fall to 1,500 cases per week, which would be closer to our baseline in 2013,” he said.

“The infection level is still high with an average of 500 cases weekly.”

The national-level dengue committee met for the third time yesterday in efforts to implement more effective measures in the fight against dengue.

Chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the meeting involved other parties including state governments and local authorities.